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Louisiana’s location on the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico make it a natural as a home base for cruise ships. In addition to its proximity to the sea and river, New Orleans, the state's largest city, serves as a hub for shipping activity as well as a major tourist draw for those seeking unique culture, history and entertainment. Several cruises depart from the port of New Orleans bound for day trips on the Mississippi River and overnight or multinight cruises to destinations around the Gulf.

Norwegian Spirit

During the late winter and early spring, Norwegian Cruise Lines offers trips from New Orleans aboard the "Norwegian Spirt" to Cozumel, Belize City, Costa Maya and Santo Tomas de Castilla. The "Norwegian Spirit" is a large cruise ship with 1,120 cabins and a passenger capacity of 1,996 guests and a crew of nearly 1,000. Its 13 decks include a full range of amenities, including a spa and fitness center, casino, teen disco and youth activity area, pools, hot tubs, 15 restaurants and 10 bars and lounges.

Carnival Triumph

Carnival Cruise Lines departs the port at New Orleans with room enough for a small town. The "Carnival Triumph" embarks on four-, five- and seven-day Caribbean cruises with a capacity of more than 2,700 guests and 1,100 crew members. The ship is 14 decks tall and takes passengers on cruises to ports in Mexico, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and more.

The Triumph’s amenities include a sports park on the upper deck with mini golf, ping-pong, a jogging track and shuffle board. Lower decks offer dance clubs, Camp Carnival for the kids, the Club Monaco Casino, and a unique seaside theater with a 22-foot LED big screen on the deck. The Triumph has plenty of dining and entertainment options with multiple restaurants and bars, Vegas-style shows and comedy acts onboard. The ship also has a full-service spa and fitness facility.

Creole Queen

Perhaps the most authentic way to enjoy a cruise in Louisiana is to hop aboard a paddle wheeler for dinner and jazz. The "Creole Queen" offers three-hour dinner jazz cruises along the muddy waters of the Mississippi River five days per week, including weekends.

The cruise boards in the evening at the Canal Street Dock in New Orleans and moves up the river past the city. Passengers enjoy live jazz music in a Victorian-style setting on the inside, with wrought-iron railings along the outer balconies to watch the scenery glide by. During the cruise an authentic Creole buffet is served that includes salad, seafood gumbo, jambalaya, Cajun braised brisket, green bean almondine, Cajun potatoes, bread pudding and more.

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About the Author

Lee Morgan is a fiction writer and journalist. His writing has appeared for more than 15 years in many news publications including the "Tennesseean," the "Tampa Tribune," "West Hawaii Today," the "Honolulu Star Bulletin" and the "Dickson Herald," where he was sports editor. He holds a Bachelor of Science in mass communications from Middle Tennessee State University.

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